All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has replied the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who stated that he would head to court to challenge result of last Saturday’s election, which produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement said the party welcomed Obi’s decision to seek redress in court as an aggrieved party if he was convinced of the pieces of evidence of electoral fraud he would present before the tribunal as alleged.
The ruling party, in its response, has said that it is ready to meet Obi in court.
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, said among other things that he won the election, but was allegedly robbed of victory, stressing that he would prove that he won.
Part of the statement read, “Going to court is part of the electoral process, and it is the most decent, statesman-like and civilised course of action to take. We salute the decision. It is surely better than calling supporters to the streets and instigating social unrest.
“Before Mr Obi goes to court, we consider it necessary to challenge some specific claims in his press address. Contrary to his statement, it is not true that the election held on 25 February was not free and fair.
“The 2023 election is one of the most transparent and peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria. It is because the process was credible that made it possible for Mr Obi’s Labour Party to record the over six million votes it got contrary to the pre-election forecast.
“That Labour Party and Mr Obi surprised bookmakers by winning in Lagos State, Nasarawa, Plateau, Delta and Edo where there are sitting governors of either the APC or the PDP. The Labour Party also swept the entire five South East states under the control of either APGA, PDP or APC.
He continued, “We believe that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate contradicted himself and exposed himself to public ridicule by suggesting that the election was only credible in states and places his party won.
“We need us to forewarn Mr Obi, that when he gets to court he should be prepared to tell the world how his party won over 90% of votes in his region of South East while other parties got almost nothing. We have evidence of voter suppression, intimidation and harassment in the South East especially of those who came out to vote for our party.
“Also when Mr Obi gets to court, he will have to convince the court with his allegation of rigging in over 40,000 polling units across the country, especially in the North West and North East where his party had no party agents and did not sign result sheets as required by law. It is our assumption that the Labour Party will enlist PDP agents to prove its fraud claims since it is an affiliate of PDP.
“The President-elect who was the candidate of our party won a Pan Nigeria mandate in a free, fair, and credible election. He is ready and prepared to assume office so he can serve the people of our country with sincerity and honour.”
Recall that INEC had on Wednesday declared the candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the election.
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